Watsonville >> As the founder of several organizations in the county focused on the welfare of children, Lori Butterworth never faltered in her mission.

"When a child is sick and a family is in crisis, I think people just need to find a way to help," she said.

Butterworth was named the recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the Santa Cruz County Chapter of the Red Cross. She'll be honored at a breakfast event at the Cocoanut Grove on May 14.

In 1998, she founded Jacob's Heart, a nonprofit dedicated to providing relief to children with cancer as well as their families.

"If we can strengthen and empower a family to help that child, we're going to do more for that child than any trip to Disneyland or teddy bear could do," Butterworth said.

After she left Jacob's Heart as executive director, she began advocating for hospice programs for children by co-founding Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition in 2001. As executive director for the coalition, she helped change regulations that would allow children to receive both chemotherapy and hospice care at the same time.

Before the change, children could either choose chemotherapy to fight the cancer or a hospice program to ease pain. But not both.

"No parent is going to give up on trying to cure their child's disease up until the very end," she said.

The Watsonville and Santa Cruz Youth City Councils, organizations dedicated to giving youth a voice in civic affairs, were also founded by Butterworth.

"She has the energy of a 12-year-old, frankly," said Rose Filicetti, who nominated Butterworth for the award.

The two met in 2012 and Filicetti watched in admiration as Butterworth worked for the children.

"The ability to bring people from diverse backgrounds, interests and levels of expertise to work on solving problems, that takes a real facilitation to bring the best out of others, I think," Filicetti said.

Butterworth said she wants people to know they can make a difference in whatever they're passionate about.

"For me, my love and passion for my entire life has been helping children and youth," Butterworth said. "For other people, it could be helping the environment or helping the elderly."

Butterworth returned as executive director of Jacob's Heart in August with the intent of strengthening its legacy, including creating an endowment.

"I want to create an organization that's sustainable over time because, unfortunately, cancer is not going away," she said.